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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28913559">The Gotham Grand Comedy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theholyholtby/pseuds/theholyholtby'>theholyholtby</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nightwing and Starfire [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Batfamily Angst (DCU), Coming of Age, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:48:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,089</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28913559</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theholyholtby/pseuds/theholyholtby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dick and Kory are called to Gotham after Batman goes missing, he isn't expecting too much difficulty in terms of keeping the peace. However, this is an opportunity the Joker has been waiting for, and the mad clown unleashes a plot that is set to change the face of Gotham forever. Can Kory and Dick keep building their relationship despite the sinister plot? And where is Batman?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson/Koriand'r</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nightwing and Starfire [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. An Old Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>WELCOME TO MY SEQUEL! There is going to be more dickkory, more action, more excitement. I hope you stick around, because I am really hyped about this story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rain lashed against Dick’s face as his boots hit hard on the ground, splashing water up as he stepped in puddles. Just ahead of him, through the driving rain, Dick could make out the shadowy outline of the man he was chasing. Once again, he cursed the fact that he wasn’t wearing the technological mask. The rain was making it almost impossible to see anything.</p><p>He looked up to try and see the man but the rain was making it impossible to follow. Skidding to a stop at a fork in the alleyway, Dick raised his finger to the communicator in his ear, cursing under his breath.</p><p>“Titans, I’ve lost him. I can’t see a thing,” Dick said.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, old man. I’ve got him,” Steph replied back.</p><p>“Nothing stupid, Spoiler!” Dick retorted.</p><p>He heard an explosion from up ahead and shook his head. Steph couldn’t help herself. Serious time and effort had been spent by multiple members of the Titans to try and improve her stealth technique, but she still had a proclivity for taking the loud route when it came to crime fighting.</p><p>Sprinting down the left alleyway towards the explosion, a burst of green light shot past in the corner of his left eye. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning. Kory had arrived. The blur of green light that was Kory’s trail twisted down towards the location of the explosion, green starbolts firing off one by one to the ground below.</p><p>Dick slid past another corner and finally reached the battle. The man they had been chasing was ducking under swings of Steph’s Bo staff, occasionally striking back, forcing Steph to retreat.</p><p>The man was unable to press any sort of fighting advantage, however. Whenever he would get too close to Steph, Kory would swoop down, firing off starbolts to stop the attack. After another strafing run from Kory, Dick slid his escrima sticks off his back and attacked.</p><p>Leaping at the man, Dick slammed his escrima sticks down on the man’s head. To his shock, the man moved with blinding speed, bringing an arm up to block the attack. Dick fell back onto the ground, like all the force had been sucked out of his attack.</p><p>He noticed that his body was now bathed in a blue glow. Looking out, he saw that the spots where his escrima sticks had made contact with the man were glowing bright blue. Dick jumped to his feet, escrima sticks out. Steph cycled around to the other side of the man; her Bo staff was ready.</p><p>Instead of looking scared or worried, the man grinned. Using his glowing arm, he slammed his hand onto the ground. Blue energy erupted forth in a circular wave, sending Dick and Steph flying against the walls of the alleyway. The man then started to run again.</p><p>“Shit!” Dick shouted, pressing a finger to his ear communicator, “This guy’s a meta! Be careful!”</p><p>“What are the powers?” Raven’s voice asked.</p><p>“He seems to absorb kinetic energy. My escrima sticks did nothing to him.”</p><p>Dick removed his finger from the communicator and continued running after the man, Steph just behind him. Above him rocketed Kory, who was still firing off starbolts in the direction the man was running. He was able to avoid them, strafing side to side.</p><p>The rain was still heavy, limiting visibility dramatically. Before they had started this mission, Dick and Kory had coordinated several chokepoints with different members of the Titans around the back alleys of Jump City. Limited visibility meant Dick couldn’t see if they were still in place, or if they even knew that they were coming. Suddenly, his communicator chirped again, so Dick turned it back on.</p><p>“Titans, I can’t see anything. Is he coming?” Roy said. He and Karen were perched on top of one of the buildings, ready for the fugitive to come past.</p><p>“He is moving along the back alleyway of the forty-ninth and fiftieth streets,” Kory said, “You will need to use thermal sights, this weather makes things impossible to see.”</p><p>“Copy that, boss,” Roy said.</p><p>Through the communicator, Dick could hear the twanging sound of arrows being fired from a bow. Still running, he listened out for the result of Roy’s attack. Worryingly, there was only silence on the other end of the communicator.</p><p>About twenty metres ahead of Dick and Steph, the swift and steady stream of rain was disrupted by a massive blue explosion of energy, quickly followed by another explosion of fire, sending a shower of concrete into the sky. Dick grabbed Steph and pulled her against the wall in a side alley, avoiding the concrete chunks falling out the sky.</p><p>“Red Arrow, Bumblebee, do you copy? I repeat, do you copy? Are you alright?” Dick shouted, turning his communicator on.</p><p>For what felt like forever, there was no reply. Dick’s heart fell to the bottom of his chest like a stone. Could they be gone? Could he have managed to lose more Titans under his command?</p><p>“We’re okay, but the guy is getting away. The arrows did absolutely nothing to him!” Karen said.</p><p>“Stay where you are. Nightwing and I will push him to Raven and Beast Boy’s chokepoint,” Kory commanded.</p><p>Dick leapt out from the side alley and started to run after the man again. As he ran towards the direction of the explosion, he yelled at Steph to stay behind to look after Karen and Roy. She looked displeased with her assignment but she followed his order regardless, firing a grappling gun up to the ruined edge of the exploded building.</p><p>The heavy rain started to subside slight, allowing greater vision of what was ahead. The clearer vision meant Dick could see the man spin around a corner. Dick swore. That alley led to the main street, and they would absolutely lose him if he made it there.</p><p>“Starfire, he’s heading for main street! Cut him off!” Dick shouted.</p><p>Kory’s trail of green fire flashed passed over him, boosting ahead to the end of the alleyway. The man heard her, looking up in fear. Kory fired off several starbolts into the man’s path, forcing him to spin back. This put him right into Dick’s path.</p><p>Spinning in a pirouette, he brought his escrima sticks around to strike the man. Bringing his own arms up, the man blocked the attack, the blue glow emitting from the strike on his forearms as he absorbed the kinetic energy. The man then slammed his arms together in a cross, sending a wave of blue energy outwards, slamming directly into Dick.</p><p>Dick was hit with such force that he was launched into the air, several metres high. Before he even had time to think about his predicament, two strong arms scooped under his armpits, stopping his fall.</p><p>“You must be more careful, Nightwing,” Kory said, grinning, “I will not always be here to catch you!”</p><p>“If you’re not going to here to catch me, I won’t be doing this, you know that!” Dick said back.</p><p>Kory winked at him, then peeled upwards higher in the sky. Looking over the maze of alleyways and side streets, any sight of the man had completely disappeared. He had used the distraction of Kory saving Dick to escape.</p><p>“Oh, for… Titans, we’ve lost him completely. Keep your eyes peeled,” Dick said, activating his communicator.</p><p>“I knew I should’ve stuck with you,” Steph muttered through the communicator.</p><p>“Not now, Spoiler,” Dick said firmly, “Everyone, keep your focus. This guy is a meta and dangerous.”</p><p>Kory circled them around in the air, passing over busy streets packed with people heading to work, whether walking or trapped in the gridlocked traffic. The reason they had started this mission early in the morning was to avoid the commuters of Jump City. Instead, chasing the fugitive had taken so long that the commuters were out anyway.</p><p>“Beast Boy has the fugitive’s scent, we’re pursuing,” Raven said suddenly, “Broadcasting location now!”</p><p>Kory twisted to the left, following the directional beeps the communicators were emitting. It was a new tech, developed by the Justice League, allowing for people to both communicate on a mission and figure out where to go at the same time. It was revolutionary, and Dick had made a successful appeal to Batman to allow the Titans to use it as well.</p><p>The beeping got louder and more frantic the further west they moved. Kory swept down, the wind sweeping down across Dick’s face with force, making him close his eyes, despite his protective eye mask.</p><p>She landed roughly, but still allowing Dick to stand. Just ahead of them, Raven was flying around the man, white energy blasting forth at the man, but he was managing to duck and dodge around her. A green wolf was nipping at his legs, but it was only serving to help the man, allowing him to absorb kinetic energy.</p><p>A blast of released energy slammed Raven and Gar against the walls of the alley. Quickly acting to stop them from getting hurt further, Dick threw out several small smoke bombs. Blocking with his arm, the man coughed loudly, charging out the other end of the smoke. As he ran, Kory fired several starbolts out after him, but he managed to dodge those as well.</p><p>“Does he ever stop running?” Kory asked, her face rife with annoyance.</p><p>“He will soon. This alleyway is a dead end,” Dick said, grinning.</p><p>Kory nodded, firing a gleaming smile back. They moved through the slowly dissipating smoke and followed the man’s trail. It didn’t take them long to find who they were looking for, trapped at the dead end of an alleyway, desperately trying to scrabble up the slick concrete wall.</p><p>“It’s over!” Dick shouted.</p><p>The man turned around; any air of defiance was completely gone. Instead, it had been replaced by a look of total fear. But it wasn’t fear of them, to Dick’s surprise. It seemed like the man’s focus was elsewhere, a fear of some greater threat to him.</p><p>“You can’t take me back to Gotham! I’m not going back!” The man shouted.</p><p>Confusion swept over Dick. Gotham? They hadn’t even known where this guy had come from. He had been planning to take him to the Jump City Meta Detention Centre. Gotham was not even in the slightest area of his thoughts.</p><p>“We’re not going to take you to Gotham,” Dick said slowly, calmly, trying to settle the man down. It didn’t work, and the man started to move more erratically, bashing his fists against the walls, his entire body starting to glow blue like a charging explosion.</p><p>“I AM NOT GOING BACK TO GOTHAM!” The man screamed at the top of his lungs.</p><p>Dick tried to get close to the man, but he was forced back by a wave of unleashed blue energy. Colliding with a wall, old injuries in his shoulder flared up. He managed to lever himself up against the wall, but he had lost use of his right arm.</p><p>Firing off an extensive energy beam, Kory tried to disrupt the energy build up in the man’s body, but it connected with another energy wave, deflecting away into a side wall with an explosion, showering brick over the entire scene. Spinning into a curled position, Dick tucked his head under his body, letting the debris bounce off his back.</p><p>In the corner of his eye, Dick saw a sudden rush of a familiar black and yellow. He rolled over to see a caped figure slide under another energy wave, jumping up right next to the man. The figure swung a leg up, striking the man in the face with a yellow boot. The man fell backwards, his expression slightly shocked. The caped figure then struck him in the face with two quick punches. The man collapsed, crumpled on the ground, his blue glow fading quickly.</p><p>Kory ran over to Dick, wrapping her arm around his waist, supporting his weight. He could walk, it was his arm that was injured, but being up against Kory, feeling her warmth emanate through his body.</p><p>They walked up to the caped figure, who was locking the man in some anti-meta cuffs. Dick was about to offer some words of thanks, when the figure turned around, and his words caught in the back of his throat.</p><p>The caped figure was Barbara Gordon, suited up in a sleek black Batgirl suit, with yellow highlights and boots. Her bright red hair was laying softly against her shoulders, standing out bright against her dark suit.</p><p>Kory was in stunned silence as well. Neither he nor Kory had seen Barbara in over a year and a half, since the Trigon incident. Despite the fact they had made a promise to remain friends and stay in contact, they had barely interacted at all, outside of a few calls early on. None of them would admit it, but deep-down Dick knew it was because of the fact that Barbara had broken up with him so he could be with Kory.</p><p>“Hello, Batgirl. Thank you for your help,” Kory said pleasantly, breaking the awkward silence.</p><p>Barbara looked between the two of them, her gaze not judging, but analysing.</p><p>“It’s no problem, Starfire, Nightwing,” Barbara said, nodding towards both of them, “He’s an escapee from Arkham, and I need to speak to you both anyway.”</p><p>Dick and Kory shared a questioning look. After such a long period of radio silence, if Barbara was contacting them in person, it must be extremely serious. They both looked back towards Barbara, their attention in her hands.</p><p>Barbara took a moment to find her words. Dick could see under her mask that her facial expression was serious, which worried him. It could only mean one thing: bad news.</p><p>“Batman has gone missing. We need you back in Gotham, Nightwing,” Barbara said slowly, her voice cracking slightly.</p><p>Dick stood in stunned silence, barely even registering Kory’s attempt at a reassuring backrub. Batman was missing. How could that even be possible?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Arrival in Gotham</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dick arrives in Gotham</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The rest of the day after capturing the meta was a blur. All that was running through Dick’s head was Barbara’s revelation. Batman was missing. It seemed almost impossible, frankly. It wasn’t as if Batman didn’t sometimes disappear without warning, but someone always knew that he was going. It was clear that this time he was gone without a trace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had unloaded the fugitive meta at the Jump City facility that kept rogue meta-humans under lock and key. Afterwards, they had arrived back at Titans Tower, where Dick was now packing his gear up into a bag. His family needed him in Gotham. Without Batman, it would be chaos, and he was the most experienced of the Bat’s protégés.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Absorbed in his own world, he failed to register the sound of his door opening. A tap on his shoulder broke him out of his reverie and made him jump. Spinning around so fast it caused his neck to twinge aggressively, Dick was met with the bright green of Kory’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Kory,” Dick said, rubbing his neck to soothe the pain, “I didn’t see you there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory looked around his room before answering. Suddenly embarrassed, Dick felt his face flush. His room was a pigsty in its current state, with clothes and gear strewn about all over the floor. His attempt at packing had not been a tidy process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory took another moment to look him over. Dick felt slightly uncomfortable; Kory had an analytical look on her. She sometimes did this, taking a moment before a conversation to try and get a read on the situation. He was a little concerned she may have learnt it from him during his Robin days when he had done his best to emulate Batman instead of being his own person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a silly question,” Kory said, “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Dick’s turn to stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is that a silly question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I know the answer, but I would like you to tell me,” Kory said, her expression becoming sympathetic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick tried to answer, but before he could find the words, the combination of the mess in his room and Kory’s sympathy made something inside of him break. He collapsed forward into Kory. She caught him, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Burying his face into her long red her, Dick allowed the flood of emotions he’d been holding back to rush out and overwhelm him. No tears came, but he felt rooted to the spot as a maelstrom of doubts and worries he’d bottled up battered him from all directions. The only thing tethering him to reality was Kory, her warm embrace a shield against the onslaught of negativity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still buried in her hair, Dick felt Kory turn and press a gentle kiss to his cheek, with her hands gently rubbing circles into his back. He felt the maelstrom calm with each rub, and one less negative feeling hit him. It didn’t take long for the comfort of Kory to beat out his unleashed emotions, enabling him to stabilise, extracting himself from Kory’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. Been a while since I’ve had something like that hit me,” Dick said, cracking a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it is because you keep bottling it up instead of talking about it,” Kory scolded, “I wish you would open up more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m working on it,” Dick said with a wink, turning back to his bags, “I’m much better than I was a year ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you most certainly have, Kory said, coming up behind him with a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick took a short break from his packing to bask further in Kory’s presence. Despite the fact that they had been together for well over a year, he still found himself shocked every morning that she was with him. She was simply perfect in every way. He didn’t know what he would do without her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His internal swooning suddenly made a lightbulb ding in his head. He disentangled himself from Kory’s arms and turned to face her. His face must have been lit up with excitement because Kory’s expression started to mirror it the more she looked at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should come to Gotham with me!” Dick said, “Having you by my side would make it easier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But… what about the Titans?” Kory asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They have Roy, Karen, and Jaime. The team will be okay without us for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory took a moment to consider her answer. Dick could see her making miniature calculations behind her eyes, taking in what he had said and comparing it against her own thoughts on the matter. He had long been able to read Kory like a book, and this was no exception.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it would help you, then I will join you in Gotham,” Kory said finally, her face gleaming with anticipation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to love Gotham. Coming from sunny Jump City, it’s going to seem like the most miserable place in existence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory rolled her eyes at him. Walking over to Dick’s closet, she pulled it open and trailed a hand through Dick’s clothes. Stopping at one of his shirts, Kory reached under and pulled out a suitcase that lay hidden at the back. Suitcase in her hands, she walked back to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not have one,” Kory said with a wink, leaving the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick smiled to himself. Although the situation was still dire, and he was certainly still worried about Batman, something about Kory coming along made it all seem a little less calamitous.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p>
  <span>By that evening, Dick and Kory were both ready. They had both packed a large suitcase worth of clothing and gear in preparation for what could be an extended stay. Dick wasn’t worried about forgetting anything; he always had things at Wayne Manor, just in case he had to make an emergency stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara had come to Jump City in the latest model of Batplane, and it was waiting for Dick and Kory outside Titan’s Tower as they walked out the main entrance. The Batplane was sleek, its fuselage narrow, with wide, curved crescent wings on either side. It didn’t appear as though there would even be room for them inside, but Dick knew that the narrowness was deceptive; this wasn’t a single-pilot Batplane, which meant there would be room for plenty of people inside - though it could be cramped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing by a ladder rising to the cockpit was Barbara, still entirely kitted out in her Batgirl outfit. Dick hadn’t even seen her take the mask off since her arrival in Jump City. She gave a wave as she noticed them, but her face remained serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we ready to leave?” Barbara asked as soon as they were within earshot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick ran a mental checklist. Multiple things had been done to ensure the Titans would continue to run smoothly in their absence. Roy and Karen would take temporary command, and any important missions had been pre-planned to guarantee everyone knew their roles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reached the ladder and started to clamber inside the cockpit, which had four available seats. Placing their luggage at the back, Dick held out a hand to Kory and Barbara in succession, helping them up. Barbara went straight to the pilot’s seat, strapping herself in and fiddling with the controls. She was about to close the cockpit when there was a shout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OI! Don’t you dare leave without me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking out of the cockpit, Dick saw the surprising sight of Stephanie Brown stomping towards the Batplane, lugging a heavy-looking suitcase behind her. She was dressed in her Spoiler costume with the hood down, missing only the face mask. Her expression radiated enough displeasure to make Dick feel the urge to cringe from metres away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about, Stephanie?” Kory asked, popping up beside Dick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotham is my home as well, you idiots! Give me a chance to help protect it!” Steph shouted, marching ever closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by Barbara calling out from the pilot’s seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let her come, we’ll need all the help we can get, and she knows the city.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory glanced at Dick, looking for his opinion. He took a moment, then shrugged, pushing down the ladder for Steph to climb up. Steph’s expression changed to one of glee at the foot of the ladder, and she passed her luggage up to Dick, then clambered up the ladder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’d you put in this thing? Rocks?” Dick asked with a puff, the suitcase far heavier than he expected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I need clothes, gear, some entertainment, and other things,” Steph answered with a wink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick rolled his eyes, placing it with the other gear. The cockpit slid closed overhead, with a hissing noise filling the silence as the cabin pressurised. Happy that everyone was strapped into their seats, Barbara began the take-off procedure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A light rumble shook the plane as Barbara fired up the small boosters underneath the wings, allowing the Batplane to hover up into the air. Wiggling slightly in the air, the Batplane stabilised as Barbara moved the control yoke around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once stable, Barbara pressed a green button on the console and then flicked a small red switch. Looking back at Dick and the others, she winked, then pulled back hard on the control yoke. The Batplane launched forward with speed, the force of the thrust forcing Dick against the backrest. With a twist of the control yoke, Barbara turned the Batplane to a sharp left towards Gotham’s general direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been flying for about thirty minutes when Barbara turned on the autopilot and spun her chair around to face the rest of them. She tapped a few buttons on the arm of the chair, and a holographic display appeared in between her and the rest of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Things are very different in Gotham now. You need to be ready… never mind, I’ll just show you,” Barbara said, tapping another button.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The holographic display shifted until it was displaying a news broadcast that Dick recognised was from the leading Gotham news network, Gotham Evening News. A woman with dark hair was on the screen, in front of a massive crowd of people, who were all looking forward to a stage. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We’re bringing you back to outside Gotham Plaza, where a new candidate for the upcoming mayoral elections is reportedly introducing themself.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning a dial, Barbara sped the footage up, zipping past images of the same dark-haired reporter and video of the crowd. The fast-forward suddenly stopped, the display showing news footage of the stage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the stage, there was an explosion of confetti and laughing boomed through the massive speakers on either side of the stage. A lean figure walked out into the middle of the stage, but Dick couldn’t make out any of his features through the shadow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The camera zoomed in on the figure as the stage lights turned on. As the person’s features became revealed to the camera, Dick felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart going cold. The distinctive smile was the first thing he could see, the bright red lips and yellowy teeth out there for everyone to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd in the footage had a similar reaction, the people of Gotham all starting to pull back in a state of panic. When more than the smile became visible, even Kory and Steph inhaled sharply. Everyone knew this man, no matter where they were from. Everyone knew the Joker.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“HELLO, GOTHAMITES! How are we all on this fine day?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd didn’t respond, shocked into silence by one of Gotham’s greatest criminals waltzing about on stage. Dick looked up from the recording to Barbara. Her face was grim, but there was no sign on it that the recording was about to show some sort of atrocity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the footage, the Joker was starting to walk around the stage, grinning widely at different members of the crowd. He stopped in the middle of the stage and held his arms out, almost apologetically.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“There’s no need to be afraid! I’ve done my time in Arkham, and I’m ready to be a civilised part of society! I’m running for mayor, and trust me, you’re going to LOVE what I have planned for you all!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The footage ended as the Joker bowed dramatically. Dick immediately looked at Barbara, desperate for some sort of reassurance or smile, to prove that this was some sort of sick joke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell was that?” Steph suddenly said, bursting out with what everyone was thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s what’s waiting for us in Gotham. The Joker is running for mayor, and it’s not even some strange joke. He’s been taking it very seriously,” Barbara said, voice bleak. “Just take a look at this broadcast from three days ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara tapped another button, bringing up a different broadcast on the holographic display. Within it was a man in front of a screen. Displayed on the screen were faces of different people; Dick recognised one of the faces as the Joker. Next to the faces were percentages, and Dick realised the other people must be mayoral candidates for Gotham. The man, now gesturing to the screen, started to speak. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“As you can see, only one month after his shock entry into the Gotham mayoral race, the Joker has taken a massive lead in the polls, sitting now at an extraordinary 73% approval rating, compared to his next closest challenger, Bryan M. Edwards, who is at a measly 24%.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Looking into reasons for this quite unbelievable lead, it would appear most people in Gotham have bought into what the Joker is promising - a new, better life for Gotham, free of bureaucracy and rigid government laws. How exactly the Joker hopes to achieve any of this - especially considering his criminal record - I’m not sure…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The man kept talking about the political situation in Gotham, but Dick wasn’t interested any more. Shocked to his core about the fact that the Joker was not only running for mayor but winning, he glanced between the other people in the cabin, again hoping that somehow, impossibly, it would turn out to be a joke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no such reassurance. Barbara shut down the display and returned Dick’s gaze. Even though they had spent so long apart, he could still read her eyes like they were a gateway into her soul. The worry went deep, and she was clearly feeling lost about what to do about the Joker without Batman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, this Joker is winning the race to become mayor?” Kory asked, breaking the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question seemed to wake Barbara up, and she turned to Kory, her face serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. He served his Arkham sentence and is now running for mayor. What is really frustrating is that, as far as we can tell, he’s doing it completely legitimately,” Barbara said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We?” Kory asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll see,” Barbara said with a rare grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the trip to Gotham didn’t seem to take very long, despite the fact Jump City was on the other side of the country. Barbara flew the Batplane over Gotham towards Wayne Manor. Looking out the window, Dick took in the sights of a miserable city. Smog and gloom dominated the skyline, with only the darkened peaks of the tallest buildings poking out into the clear sky. It was nighttime, but Dick knew that even in the day the city would be gloomy and dark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Batplane flew past the central city and over the outskirts of the city, heading towards the back fields of Gotham, where many of the city’s rich and powerful resided - including Wayne Manor, the home of Bruce Wayne, who only a select few knew as the Batman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara guided the Batplane gently over the manor, keeping the engines on low as to not alert anyone nearby that a plane was landing in Bruce Wayne’s front lawn. Just as they were hovering over the front lawn, the ground opened up, revealing a secret landing platform underground. Gently hovering downwards, Barbara expertly landed the Batplane in the dead centre of the platform.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the engines shut down, Dick unstrapped himself and grabbed the bags from the back. The cockpit opened with a hiss, with everyone taking their turns to clamber down the ladder. Dick waited until everyone had left before passing the bags down, then exiting the cabin himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They followed Barbara across a bridge that linked the landing platform to the main section of the underground cave they now found themselves in. It was all very familiar to Dick, who had lived and breathed Wayne Manor for many years before moving in with the Titans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not much had changed in the year and a half since Dick had last stayed at Wayne Manor. The cave, known as the Batcave, was expansive, with tall ceilings made from the natural formation of the cave. On one side of the bridge was a massive waterfall, sparkling blue water shining as it crashed against a deep pool of cave water at the bottom of the cave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of the bridge was the main area of the Batcave, obvious by a massive wall of different computer screens, each monitor displaying some different information. In front of the screens was a chair, normally occupied by Batman himself. There was someone sitting in it, but Dick couldn’t make out who it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With their footsteps echoing across the metal floor, the person in the chair was alerted to their presence. They spun around, revealing themselves as a teenager, around sixteen years of age, with black hair trimmed short. He was wearing a bright red shirt, with long black pants and a black cape with a green inside lining. Across his eyes was a domino mask, and emblazoned on his right breast was a circular symbol with the letter ‘R’ inside it, representing Batman’s sidekick, Robin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tim!” Steph shouted excitedly, running past the group to greet the boy in the chair, who was indeed Tim Drake, the current Robin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim stood up from the chair and caught Steph in a tight hug, which lasted for a slightly uncomfortable period of time, but they were broken apart by a polite cough. Looking past them, Dick was filled with joy to see Alfred, a loyal butler and someone Dick considered to be close family. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alfred! It’s good to see you,” Dick said, holding a hand out towards the older man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And it is always pleasant to see you, Master Dick,” Alfred responded warmly, shaking his hand. “May I enquire as to who these people you and Miss Gordon have brought with you are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Stephanie Brown, Alfred,” Tim said, suddenly piping up, “She’s the girl I was telling you about!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Brown. Your reputation proceeds you,” Alfred said, giving Steph a pleasant grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is my girlfriend, Kory,” Dick said, slinging an arm around Kory’s shoulders in an intimate gesture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad that you have found someone that can keep up with you,” Alfred said, keeping it brief after a glance at Barbara. “Come upstairs, all of you. I’m sure you have a great many questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group followed Alfred as he led them away from the wall of screens towards a big long silver tube that fed up from the Batcave to the ceiling. Dick knew it to be the elevator that provided easy access from Manor to Batcave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfred pressed a button on the side of the tube, and the doors slid open, revealing the elevator. They piled in, the doors closing behind them. There was a slight shudder, and the elevator started to trundle upwards. Dick found himself desperately missing the Titan’s Tower elevators, which were modern. He wasn’t sure Batman had ever upgraded the Batcave elevators.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They arrived upstairs in about ten seconds with a ding. The doors open, and they found themselves faced with a small room carved into the rock of the cave, with the wall in front of them made entirely of oak wood. Alfred walked forwards and pushed on the wooden part of the wall. It swung open, revealing the living area of Wayne Manor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, take a seat. I will prepare some refreshments,” Alfred said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all took seats on plush red couches that were probably all worth ridiculously high prices. Dick placed himself next to Kory, putting an arm around her, and she leant into his side, her warmth making him feel comfortable. Tim and Steph sat on another couch, whispering and giggling with each other, while Barbara sat by herself, upright. Her jaw clenched every time she looked over at Dick and Kory, though Dick could tell she was trying to hide it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before any of them had to try and make conversation, Alfred came back, carrying a tray of drinks with him. He passed them out to everyone then took a seat for himself. Glancing at Barbara, he gestured for her to begin. She nodded and leant in to begin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About a month ago, the Joker finished his Arkham sentence. Only two days later, the Batman went out for a standard evening patrol with Robin,” Barbara said, “I’ll let Tim take it from here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim, who had been discussing something with Steph, looked up slightly startled but quickly gained his bearings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was standard patrol, the usual route through Gotham. I didn’t think much of the fact that I arrived at Wayne Manor first, because Bruce - I mean…” Tim trailed off instead of continuing, glancing awkwardly at Kory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Dick said, “Kory’s with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim nodded, reassured, then continued his tale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Because Bruce will often take longer than me. But, we started to be concerned when he didn’t turn up by the next morning. So, we put out a scan and got nothing. No ping or anything. He had completely disappeared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, as you know, the Joker announced his mayoral campaign. So, we can’t help but think that the two are related,” Barbara finished. “We’re planning a small raid on the Joker’s campaign offices over the next few days. Are you all in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick looked between Kory and Steph. They both gave him a nod, which is exactly what he expected. They were going to find out what happened to Batman, and they were going to find out exactly what the Joker had to do with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re in,” Dick said with a confident grin. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not dead!!!!! Sorry that this took over two months to come out, that's pretty unacceptable.<br/>Next chapter will focus on the team trying to figure out what the Joker is up to.</p><p>Thanks for reading, especially if you've been waiting a long time for this chapter to come out &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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